The present invention relates to a reflector for use with a lamp, the reflector having a vent hole for venting fluid through the reflector from the front of the reflector to the rear of the reflector,the vent hole being obscured when viewing the front surface of the reflector. The reflector is particularly useful with lamp assemblies in automotive applications.
There are many uses for reflectors with lamp assemblies. For example, the use of reflectors is known in the automobile industry, reflectors being commonly used, for example, with headlamps. Headlamps are typically enclosed assemblies which generally include a lamp extending into a housing which is enclosed by a lens, an inner surface of the housing forming the reflector. During the life of the headlamp, there is a tendency for air and moisture to accumulate in the housing. The moisture tends to cloud the lens and otherwise present an unsightly headlamp structure. In order to overcome this problem, it is known to provide a through hole which extends through the housing, including the reflective surface. In such an embodiment, air and moisture within the housing are vented from the interior of the housing, the air and moisture flowing through the through hole and out of the housing. To facilitate such venting, it is known to attach a vent tube to a coupling extending from the exterior of the housing adjacent the through hole. The vent tube serves to direct the air and moisture flowing out of the vent hole, as desired.
One of the problems inherent with such vent hole arrangements is that there is a tendency for the through hole to be quite visible when viewing the reflector through the lens. As a practical matter, the through hole appears as a dark spot upon an otherwise spotless reflective surface. Like the moisture, which in the absence of the vent hole would accumulate in the housing, such a dark spot presents an unsightly headlamp structure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved reflector for use with a lamp.
It is another object of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an improved reflector for use with a lamp.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved reflector for use with a lamp, the reflector including a vent hole which does not appear as a dark spot upon the reflective surface.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved reflector for use in automobile applications.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved reflector for use in an automobile headlamp assembly.
This invention achieves these and other objects by providing a reflector for use with a lamp. The reflector includes a vent hole which extends through a reflector body from an outer surface to an inner surface. The vent hole is provided by first and second apertures. The first aperture is formed by a first enclosure extending into the reflector body from the outer surface towards the inner surface. The second aperture is formed by a second enclosure extending into the reflector body from the inner surface towards the outer surface. The first enclosure is structured and arranged relative to the second enclosure (a) to provide for fluid flow from the outer surface, through and between the first aperture and the second aperture, to the inner surface, and (b) to obscure the first and second apertures when viewing the outer surface.